No Rest for the Weary
by SzmandaFanGirl2389
Summary: Short Greg oneshot. Inspired by Fannysmackin. Kind of angsty. Please R


"Will the defendant please rise?" A hushed silence fell over the entire courtroom and the only sound to be heard was the judge's booming voice. Greg Sanders swallowed hard. He had been in court many times before, but this time was different. This time he was the one who was being judged. This wasn't a trial; it was what was known as a coroner's inquest; an examination into the causes and events of a death under violent or suspicious circumstances.

Instead of stating facts to get a conviction, he was the person who could only sit by and helplessly watch as a prosecutor ruthlessly dismantles every ounce of confidence he had worked toward.

The prosecutor criticized everything Greg had done before the crime was committed. She even accused him of being intoxicated while on assignment. She had no idea how difficult this ordeal had been for him. It was bad enough that he had been beaten to a pulp by a gang of teenagers who preyed on innocent victims for fun. The only reason Demetrius James was now dead was because Greg acted in self defense. Demetrius was running towards Greg's vehicle with a brick in hand. Greg did the first thing that came into his head. He accelerated his SUV, causing the teenager to be injured. The last thing he remembered was being pulled out of his Denali and thrown to the ground. Now he was facing potential criminal punishment, he could lose his job as a CSI and possibly go to jail. On top of that, Demetrius James' family was outraged upon his death at Greg's hands. The only thing they wanted to do was to see Greg go to jail. He couldn't deny that he needed help. The sleepless nights and long work days were starting to wear on him. He needed someone or something, a friend to help him work through everything he had to face.

"We the jury find the defendant's actions excusable."

Silence once again fell upon the courtroom as a member of the jury read the verdict.

A deep sigh of relief escaped Greg's lungs and for the first time in a week he felt that everything was going to work out. That was until he glanced over and saw Demetrius' family weeping tears of pain and anger. His brother Aaron saw Greg and gave him a look of pure hatred. Greg knew that his plight was not over yet. He wanted to resolve this, but it seemed impossible with the victim's family being so hostile towards him. If only he could make them understand how it was tearing him apart.

He had expressed this to one of his co workers and they told him that if he so much as made an effort to speak to the family, he would most likely have to deal with a civil law suit. He certainly didn't want to be sued, but he wanted closure more than anything right now. He began to feel lightheaded so he retreated to the restroom amid countless press reporters. The cold water he splashed on his face was a welcome relief. He was about to walk out until he saw Aaron coming toward him. Greg stopped cold and stepped back to let the man through.

He tried his best not to make eye contact, but none was needed to feel the cold glare that was being cast upon him by someone who was obviously upset. Aaron scoffed. "You're not so tough without your big SUV huh?" Greg looked down, trying not to let Aaron see the fear that was coursing through his veins and making its way onto his face. Aaron raised his voice, his words laced with a spiteful tone. "I asked you a question, killer!" The words made Greg's heart race. He _was_ a killer. Aaron stepped closer to him and reached out; his hand clenched tightly around Greg's shirt. Greg winced, his bruised face aching with a familiar pain. Aaron raised his other arm and threw it forward forcefully, his fist making contact with Greg's jaw. A sickening pound echoed throughout the tiled confines of the bathroom and Greg recoiled in pain, memories of the beating flooding his memory.

"You better not go telling the cops about this; otherwise it will be a lot worse for you, killer." Aaron hissed. He shoved Greg back against the sink before casually walking out the door as if nothing happened. All Greg could do was stand there, fearful and injured. His jaw throbbed and he could only hope that it was the worst he would suffer at the hands of Aaron.

"I just don't know what to do, I feel like I should be scared but at the same time I feel like a coward for being scared.

"I don't know man; you have to let him know that he doesn't scare you somehow."

"But I killed his brother, Nick! I think he has the right to be angry."

"But beating you up doesn't solve anything either Greg. Just don't let him catch you off guard."

"So in other words, I should be a paranoid recluse who doesn't leave the house?"

"No, I'm just saying be careful."

"Yeah, I will."

Greg Sanders thanked Nick Stokes and turned to enter the parking ramp of the courthouse. He was emotionally drained and all he wanted to do was go home. He spotted his silver Passat ahead and dug his keys out of his pocket. Bright lights illuminated the ground in front of him and he shielded his eyes as the lights blinded him. Before he had time to react, the car began driving towards him. He stepped to the side and the vehicle barely missed him before speeding away. He only caught a brief glimpse of the driver, but he knew well enough that it was Aaron. The cold glare was the only proof he needed. He heard footsteps behind him and he spun around as quickly as he could. A man approached him holding a piece of paper.  
"You got served, man." he stated before handing Greg the paper and walking away.

Greg's eyes scanned it briefly. LAWSUIT FOR WRONGFUL DEATH screamed at him from the top of the page. Demetrius James' family was suing him for 1 million dollars. He shook his head in disbelief. Sometimes this job really didn't seem worth all the trouble. He loved being a CSI, but some days it seemed like more of a sacrifice than a reward. Now he had two reasons to fear Aaron James. At that moment Greg decided that Aaron could take his money and maybe even his job, but there was one thing Aaron James could never have; his integrity. He got in his car and headed home to rest and sort through everything that was racing through his fatigued conscience.

Later...

The shrill ringing of the telephone jolted Greg from his fitful slumber. He cleared his throat before answering. He glanced over at the caller ID. The number was blocked, which he found strange.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end didn't answer at first.

"I _will_ find you and I _will_ make sure you pay for what you stole from me!" The malicious voice made Greg's blood run cold. It was Aaron James. He slammed down the phone and tried to think of what to do. He could call the police, but how would that help? He had no idea where Aaron was or even where he could be. It was times like this Greg wished he hadn't upgraded from an apartment to a condo.

Now there was no one around to hear his cries for help when Aaron showed up and decided to get even. Thoughts of his life dashed through his subconscious as he stood frozen next to the phone. He began to pick up the receiver to call the Crime Lab where he worked until something stopped him. He heard a noise coming from the other side of the house, near the back door.

The sound resembled rocks hitting a window. He took a deep breath and started heading in the direction the sound was coming from. He reached the door and looked out the window next to it. There was only darkness there. A knock at the front door startled him and he went to answer it. He hesitated to open it at first but fear overtook logic at that moment. He opened the door and what he saw made his heart race even faster.

The barrel of a handgun was all he could see. He already knew who the person holding the gun was, the man who wanted to get even with him for something he didn't want to happen. Aaron spoke in a muted tone that was full of hatred.

"I thought I told you not to tell the cops, killer!" was all he said before forcing his way through the door, his gun still pressed against Greg's forehead.

"Aaron, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" Greg struggled for words as he tried to remain calm. He needed some way out, but it seemed impossible.

Aaron's hand hadn't moved from the trigger of the gun and the rage was still blazing in his eyes. His speech was firm, yet an uncertain tone proceeded to tinge his voice.

"You have no idea what you killed when you killed my brother! Now you're gonna pay for it!" A silent tear trickled down Greg's cheek as he stared at the barrel of the gun.

Aaron's finger was just about to pull when there was someone at the door. The entered without knocking and Greg tried to see who it was. It was one of his best friends, Nick Stokes. Another tear slipped down from his eye when he saw Nick because he couldn't bear the thought of Aaron taking both of their lives. Nick stopped immediately when he saw Aaron holding the gun to Greg's head.

Nick stayed calm and Greg thought for sure that it was over. Instead, he heard Nick begin to speak coolly Aaron as not to startle him into doing anything rash.

"Now, Aaron lets be smart about this. Put the gun down and we can end this right now." When he saw that Aaron had no intentions of surrendering his weapon he reached down to the holster around his waist and took out his gun. "Put the gun down and step back and I won't need to call the police."

"Shut up, I'm not afraid to shoot you!" Aaron hissed at Nick.

"Yeah, you wouldn't be the first person to be pointing a gun in my face." Nick's voice remained strong and steady as he eyed Aaron.

Nick didn't flinch in the face of danger and Aaron somehow sensed this and dropped his gun to the floor, an anguished look on his face. Greg stepped away from his captor, shocked as to why Nick even came to his house. Nick radioed for a police unit to come and arrest Aaron James. Surprisingly, Aaron didn't even attempt to escape.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright, you seemed troubled that's all. You're one of my best friends; I guess I came in at just the right time."

"You have no idea" Greg replied, thankful that he was still alive.


End file.
